ActiveVitB12 ( HoloTC ) Vitamin B12 deficiency - Finger prick
Active Vitamin B12 (holo TC) test (serum)
Whether vitamin B12 deficiency is the cause of symptoms such as fatigue and tingling is sometimes difficult to determine. However, when vitamin B12 goes undetected, it can lead to serious and permanent damage to the nervous system.
This Holo-TC (Active-B12) test measures only the active part, making it a better test to assess B12 status than the common standard B12 test.
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Vitamin B12 is bound in the blood by two different transport proteins: Haptocorrin and Transcobalamin II. Only B12 bound to Transcobalamin II can be absorbed into cells and is therefore usable by the body. The common test measuring total B12 (serum B12) does not distinguish between the two forms. The new test measures only the B12 bound to Transcobalamin II. This is also called Holo-TC, or Active-B12.
In healthy people, the percentage of Active B12 is between 10% and 30% of total B12. In persons with B12 absorption disorders, this ratio appears to be different, as research has shown that the Active-B12 level decreases faster than the total B12 level (serum B12). As a result, the Active B12 value can already be too low when the total B12 value is still normal. A deficiency can thus be detected earlier.
The most common cause of vitamin B12 deficiency is disturbed absorption in the gastrointestinal tract. People who do not consume animal products at all for a long period of time, such as vegans, can also develop a vitamin B12 deficiency.
Symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency often do not appear for years because the body builds up a store of this vitamin. A vitamin B12 deficiency can cause a folic acid deficiency because these two vitamins work together. A vitamin B12 deficiency results in a form of anemia, with symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, angina (chest pain) and a lack of appetite. In addition, vitamin B12 deficiency can affect the nervous system. Vitamin B12 may be important for memory and thinking functions. For example, elderly people may experience memory problems as a result of vitamin B12 deficiency.
Reference values:
Result greater than 60 pmol/l: vitamin B12 deficiency is not likely
Result between 40 and 60 pmol/l: advice to do the MMA test in urine as a follow-up test.
Result less than 40: biologically active vitamin B12 deficiency
